I suddenly regret not asking more questions, but I never imagined I’d actually be here. Now that I am, I don’t want to risk cutting it short, so I back away from the water. Even if I eat nothing for the next five days, I won’t starve to death.
The land is incredible on its own, but where are the humans? I can see a long way down the coast, but there is no one in sight, just an endless stretch of bright, white sand. Are they beyond the trees? I crawl over to the nearest one, the dry sand rubbing my skin raw. I have to figure out how to walk on these legs.
The tree bark is rough against my skin, but I cling to it and plant one foot on the sand, pushing and pulling myself up. Once I’m upright, I wrap one arm around the tree and pick up one of my feet, moving it forward. I do the same with the other foot, and eventually I make a circle around the tree.
Proud of my progress, I slowly let go of the tree and try to stand on my own. My toes dig into the sand, and my legs wobble, but I don’t fall, so eventually I try to take a step. I beam when I succeed. I can walk! I carefully make my way to the next tree, grabbing for it as soon as it’s in reach. By the time I’ve walked from the first tree to the fourth, I’m exhausted, and I let myself drop to the ground to rest.
My chest is heaving, my breathing loud, and water has sprouted from my forehead and is dripping down my face. Some of it rolls onto my lips, and I lick it, surprised that it tastes like the sea. I wipe it away with my arm.
When I feel rested, I try again, walking a little farther into the thickening grove of trees. A cry escapes me when something sharp pierces my foot. The ground here is littered with fallen plant material; I have to be more careful where I’m stepping.
Ever so often, I glance back at the beach, till finally it disappears out of sight. The sky is darker, and the trees behind me all look the same. My heartbeat speeds up, and my breathing grows louder. What if I can’t find my way back? I suddenly realize I don’t want to die.
I don’t know what I was thinking when I fled from my wedding. I guess I wasn’t. I just had to get away. Did I want to die? I don’t think so. I just couldn’t force myself to walk through that procession. What will happen when I go back? Grandfather will be furious, for sure, especially since I embarrassed him in front of the entire shoal.
What about Kai? Will he still be willing to marry me if I return? His family is the highest ranking in the shoal, after mine. But he’ll never be royalty unless he mates with me. His parents will never let him marry someone as low rank as Meribel, but what if he turns me down for someone else?
I still wouldn’t be allowed to choose my own mate; Grandfather would choose another, and I can only imagine the dishonor that would bring to our family, for a suitor to reject me.
Panic rises up in my chest, making my limbs shake, and I drop to my knees and bury my face in my hands as water leaks from my eyes. What have I done? My only choices are to die on land or return to my family in shame.
I let myself weep, great wracking sobs taking over my body. Eventually, I curl up on the ground as my body stills, no more energy left for tears. The air feels colder now, and I hug my knees to my chest, trying to warm myself. At some point, I fall asleep.
* * *
～～～
* * *
When I wake, the sky is bright again, and the land is alive with foreign sounds. Everything sounds so different here, with no water to soften the noise. I have no idea what creatures are making the sounds or whether or not I should be afraid of them. Are there predators on land? Muriel never spoke of them.
I look around, trying to locate the source of a chirping noise that sounds close by. A small, black and white creature hops back and forth on a nearby tree branch. He tilts his head at me, like he’s just as curious as I am. My stomach rumbles, and I wonder if I could eat him. Suddenly, fin-like appendages fold out from his body, and he takes off into the sky. I gasp then chuckle; I guess he didn’t like that idea.
My leg itches, and when I reach to scratch it, I notice tiny, red animals crawling up and down my leg. I watch them for a moment, but my leg starts to sting, and I realize they are snacking on me. I jump to my feet and brush them off, but they leave itchy, red dots on my skin. Are they poisonous? I hope not. I have no idea what dangers to look out for or how to combat them.
I resume my quest through the trees, desperate to find… something. I don’t even know what. Humans, I guess. The branches scrape at my skin and pluck strands of my hair from the intricate updo. Tiny jolts of pain pulse through the tender skin of my new feet as I trample through the refuse shed from the trees, and my belly aches with emptiness.
This is definitely not how I imagined life on land. This world is foreign and cruel, and I don’t know how to survive here. I assumed the humans would find me and take care of me, but it’s already the second day, and I haven’t even seen a human yet! How do mermaids ever find a mate? Legend says that humans are drawn to us, that they can’t resist our charms. If so, shouldn’t a human have found me by now? What if the curse took away that power? Could I lure a human on my own?
Most mermen would give their right fin to be with me, not because they love me, but only because of who I am. No one’s ever had a chance to get close enough to me to actually fall in love. Except Kai, that is.
I shake my head, trying to clear away the thoughts. I have bigger things to worry about right now, like the emptiness in my stomach and the burn in my throat. I stumble on, desperate for something to ease my body.
I spot a small, bright green animal lounging on a tree branch. His skin is rough and thick with tiny spikes down his back, and he doesn’t look the least bit appetizing. But he just blinks a big eye at me so I rush towards him, longing for anything to satisfy my hunger. He scurries away, clinging tightly to the branch with his long toes, and I’m too tired to chase after him.
Eventually, a trickling sound catches my ear, and it grows louder as I continue. Suddenly, the trees open up, and I shriek as I stumble into a small stream of water. I tense, expecting my fins to reappear, but nothing happens. The cold liquid covers my feet and flows around my ankles, soothing my sore flesh, and I stomp around in it, going deeper, relishing the feel of the water and the wet earth squishing between my toes.
I can’t resist plopping down and letting the water cover my legs, the flow soothing away the tension. I lay back and let it cover the rest of my body, opening my mouth under the water and sucking in deep.
The water tastes so different! Crisp and fresh, but almost flavorless. It doesn’t taste like the sea at all, but I drink it, anyway. A tiny fish swims by, and I snatch it. It’s only one bite, but it tastes amazing, and my stomach growls for more. I manage to snag a few others, and tiny bubbles of happiness float up inside me.
I splash around in the water till I feel refreshed, wondering again about why it is so different from seawater. Is that why my legs didn’t turn back? Or will my tail only reappear when the five days are over? Once again, I desperately wish I’d sought the answers to these questions from Muriel.
Feeling reenergized, I climb from the water and head off on the other side. Soon, the trees start to thin, and suddenly, I’m back on the shore again, facing the edge of the sea. Have I gone in a circle and ended up back where I started? My muscles tense with frustration.
I glance down the shore line and notice something that wasn’t there before — large boulders piled on top of one another, jutting out into the water. This isn’t the same shore where I woke up yesterday. Have I crossed the full width of the land? Panic seizes me, and my heart races, the sound pulsing in my ears. Why haven’t I seen any humans? Are humans as rare on land as merfolk are in the sea? How will I ever find them?
I drop to my knees and sob, hopeless. I’m such a fool! Why did I think I could do this? Grandfather has kept me purposely ignorant about the human world, and now, no one is here to show me what to do. Have I forfeited the only future I had for this — five days of loneliness and suffering in a foreign world where I can barely survi
ve?
The sea calls to me, and I long to dive back in and forget I ever tried to escape. But the fear of what awaits me keeps me huddled on the sand. If I thought my future grim before, my rebellion will only serve to worsen my destiny. I stare at the sea, lapping at the sand, and let my childhood fantasies rush back.
In my dreams, I swim to the edge of the sea and climb out of the water on nimble legs. A beautiful, exotic world awaits me, and humans flock to greet me. One of them catches my eye, and I go to him. He reaches for me, and we kiss, and our fates are sealed. He lifts me up and carries me to his home, where we make love all day and all night. In my fantasy, there is no curse, and on the fifth day, the human asks me to stay. I profess my love, and promise to be with him forever.
I bark out a pained laugh at my own childish stupidity. Happy endings only happen in fairytales. The real world is cruel and unfair. Even the fantasy world of humans.
As I sulk, gray clouds roll in, dimming the sky, and the wind picks up, shaking the palm fronds and chilling my skin. I feel exposed out here on the beach, so I head back into the tree line, curling up under the biggest tree I can find.
Water starts to drip from the sky, a drizzle that quickly grows heavier till it falls in a blinding torrent around me. The canopy of trees protects me some, but I’m still quickly soaked. I wrap my arms around my knees and tuck my head, huddling up to preserve warmth as the wind and rain lash my body.
When I look up, I blink rapidly, sure the storm is deceiving me, but no, something is floating out in the water! A vessel of some kind bobs erratically in the choppy waves at the edge of the horizon. Is that a boat? Are there humans on board?
My misery forgotten, I watch in fascination as the boat moves closer. It’s hard to make out any details through the sheet of rain except when flashes of light crackle in the sky and illuminate it. Waves toss the boat like a seaweed, crashing over the sides and tipping the hull precariously.
Suddenly, a giant wave swells up behind it. I gasp as the wave crashes over the boat, burying it in a deluge of water. I hold my breath, waiting for the boat to reemerge, but when it does, it’s upside down and sinking quickly. I jump to my feet, stricken with panic. What will happen to the humans? Can they even swim?
Without thinking, I race towards the water and plunge in, clenching my legs together and kicking with all my might, and my tail reappears. Have I lost my legs forever? I can’t worry about that right now; saving those lives is more important. I swallow my anxiety and face towards where I last saw the boat, swimming as fast as I can.
It takes a moment for my body to readjust to the ocean, but soon I am one with the sea again, and I locate the capsized ship. Chunks of debris float around it, and a small, yellow raft bobs nearby, but no humans are in it. Another flash of color catches my eye — something orange, and I swim closer. It’s a human!
A dark head sticks out above the bright vest that seems to be keeping him just barely afloat, but his eyes are closed, and he doesn’t notice me approach him. Is he dead? I grab hold of him and drag him to the raft, lifting his limp arms over the edge to hold him in place.
I spot another orange dot, further away, and head for it. The man is moaning, and he opens his eyes when I grab him and sputters out a cry. I push him towards the raft as well, and he gets over his shock long enough to climb into the dinghy. He reaches for his partner and hauls him in. The effort exhausts him, and he flops down in the bottom of the raft. The other man stirs, and I know he’s alive.
When I’m confident that they’re safe, I dive down under the boat, looking for other occupants, and see another man struggling, his orange vest caught in the railing. I swim up behind him, hoping he can’t see me, and my fingers quickly dislodge the vest from the railing. The man immediately starts floating to the surface. My eyes dart to the cabin of the boat. Is there anyone else stuck inside?
I swim inside and find one more human, his pale body and black hair floating lifelessly in the small space. I grab him and swim to the surface, forcing his head above the water. One thing I know about humans is, they can’t survive under water for long. Is it too late for this one?
When I’m positive I haven’t missed anyone, I ascend to the surface again. All four men are safely aboard the life raft, and the one who was caught in the railing is trying to rouse the one from the cabin. He pounds on his chest and blows into his mouth until the man coughs and sputters. They’re safe! They’re alive!
Rain continues to assault the sea, and waves threaten the tiny dinghy, but the men are too spent to react. I need to get them to land. Another surge of adrenaline spurs me, and I dive under the water and grab ahold of the strap that’s dangling from the life raft. I wrap it around my waist and swim harder than I’ve even swam before, but the sea is fighting me, and the weight of the raft is too much for my already exhausted body.
I can’t do this on my own. I need someone to help me, but the sea has never felt so empty. I have no idea how far away I am from my shoal or if any merfolk could hear me, but I open my mouth and bellow out a cry for help, repeating the message over and over again.
A euphoric laugh bubbles out of me as the calvary arrives a few moments later — two bottlenose dolphins with bright eyes, sleek, powerful bodies, and eager grins. It doesn’t really surprise me. Dolphins have been known to come to the aid of all kinds of creatures, and merfolk consider them allies and friends.
I tell the dolphins what I need, and they jump to action, snagging the strap on their dorsal fins. They have no problem towing the raft, and I struggle to keep pace with them.
When they reach the shallow water, they unhook themselves from the raft and chatter a gleeful goodbye before taking off into the depths. My injured head is pounding, and my body trembles as the adrenaline dissipates, but I manage to pull the raft far enough out of the water to prevent it from floating off before finally collapsing on the sand.
3
When I open my eyes, four pairs are staring back at me, and my whole body stiffens.
“Holy shit,” the largest one bellows, rubbing a hand over the dark fuzz on his head. I don’t understand the words he says, but his menacing, black eyes and the scowl on his hard face send shivers up and down my body.
He stands with his feet spread wide and his hands fisted at his waist, and thick muscles bulge up and down his arms and legs. Black designs swirl across much of his tan skin. He’s the largest of the group, and the most intimidating. His jaw tenses as he stares at me.
“Who the hell are you, and how did you get here?”
I tremble under his intense gaze. I recognize him as the first man I found floating in the water. Do I still have a tail? I suddenly worry. I give a little flick and sigh in relief as I realize my legs have returned.
“I think we found the treasure, guys,” one of the other men says, this one gentler, kinder, with floppy, brown curls and matching colored eyes. His skin is tanned but lighter than the first man’s, his body large but his flesh soft and undefined. Again, the meaning of his words eludes me, but his smile and laugh ease some of my tension.
Longer, blond locks hang loosely around the brilliant blue eyes and chiseled face of the third man, and he runs his fingers through the messy strands as his eyes roam up and down my body. “She’s Botticelli’s Venus,” his musical voice whispers.
He’s the shortest, but his body is fit and firm with golden skin.
The fourth man is tall and thin with pale skin tinged pink like the inside of a shell. Bright green eyes that shine with inquisitiveness peek out from underneath black hair. He tilts his head as he examines me. “I’m Liam. What’s your name?”
I open my mouth, but I know they won’t understand me any better than I understand them. I’m not sure I can even make the same kinds of sounds. The sound of my voice is freakish out of water, along with everything else. Their words soothe me, though, and I sense no danger from them, not even the largest one with the gruff tone.
Merfolk communicate more with their minds than t
heir voices, broadcasting their thoughts telepathically. His thoughts are loud, unfiltered, and although I don’t understand the words he’s thinking, I get the gist of them from the pictures in his mind. I know he wonders what I’m called. Instead of speaking, I picture the coral reef in my mind and project my thoughts, but he stares at me like I’ve said nothing.
“She must be the one who rescued us yesterday,” the blond one says. “My life vest was caught on the railing, and she helped me get free. Then she pulled you out of the cabin.”
Liam frowns at him then looks curiously at me again. “Where did you come from?”
I say nothing, but project an image of the shoal as the four men stare at me.
The large man kneels beside me and grabs my arm, inspecting it. “What’s wrong with you? Are you hurt?” He runs his rough fingers up and down my skin, searching for injury. When his hand grazes the lump on my head, I wince, and he jerks his hand away. “Shit! I’m sorry! You’ve got a hell of a goose egg.”
He carefully probes the skin around my wound, and his hot breath caresses my face. I stare at the muscles in his arm since I can’t see anything else with his large body in front of me. Sweat glistens on the tan skin, and his masculine scent fills my nostrils. My fingers reach to trace the designs on his arm, and he flinches as soon as I touch him.
“You got a thing for tats, baby? Go ahead, you can touch them if you want.” He chuckles, and the deep rumble goes straight to my center.
He holds out his arm for me and turns it slowly so I can admire the artwork. I don’t recognize most of the symbols, but they’re beautiful. I gingerly reach out a finger and trace a line of swirling loops, wondering what it means.
“Vincente and Angelina, my parents. God rest their souls.” He quickly touches his forehead, his sternum, then each side of his chest before kissing his fingers. Sadness softens his black eyes, and a pang of empathy spears my own chest. “I’m Giovanni — Gio.”
Sirens and Scales Page 4
